Silver and Gold
by HazyReality
Summary: The wizarding world has seemingly returned to normal. Voldemort has been dead for over a year and people are reclaiming their lives. For Hermione, everything seems to be moving like a dream, and it seems almost unsurprising when things begin to crumble and a new war seems to loom over them.
1. Normalcy

**500 Days Before**

The long days of summer felt like they could go on forever when June began but now that September was looming ever closer, time passed at full steam. Hogwarts was over, now it was time to begin secondary studies. Hermione looked back at her school days with a fondness that seemed ill suited considering the events of the previous years. Most of this affection was directed towards their mandatory eighth year and how blissfully normal it had been. No dark lords with their brainwashed cults to fight. No teachers trying to kill them. No more ministry corruption to defend Harry against. It was all so normal.

Ron and Harry had opted out of going through higher education, instead choosing the path of becoming aurors. It made sense for them considering they had no aspirations towards further learning. They had a strong desire to go after the remaining Death Eaters that still hid away. There would always be some form of dark wizard out to try and conquer the world. Such was the way of magic and its ability to give limitless power at little to no obvious cost.

"...dragons! Hey! Mione!" a seemingly disembodied hand waved in front of Hermione.

Startled, the girl jumped back in her seat but felt a bit foolish when she realized that it was just Ron.

"Are you still with us?" Ron asked.

Hermione gave him a smile "I'm here, I promise."

The trio was seated in a Diagon Alley coffee shop. A wealthy muggleborn wizard took inspiration from the popularity of Starbucks and started opening his own chain of cafes under the banner "Mink". They had been such a hit that there were now four in Hogsmede and three scattered throughout Diagon Alley. There were further plans to expand throughout wizarding Britain and throughout the world. Graham Mink, the founder, was rumored to have plans to move into the muggle world as well but nothing was certain on that front.

The opening of Mink coffee chains during Hermione's eighth year had signalled a massive shift in the wizarding world's mentality. Other muggle inspired ideas were being realized and integrated at such a rapid pace that the few remaining outspoken blood purists had no chance to protest. Many wizarding homes now had a telephone in them because it was more convenient than floo. Things had been moving towards positive change over the past year and it made Hermione happy.

Two more people appeared at the trio's table while Hermione reflected a bit more. Neville and Ginny had walked in and beelined towards them. Ginny's arms were piled with shopping bags from various stores in Diagon Alley. Neville had been roped into carrying some of them as well. Hermione saw different coloured fabrics peeking out and new that the redhead had gone on another shopping spree. Being a war hero was paying her well and she could spoil herself for the first time in her life.

"More clothes?" Hermione teased.

"You know it," Ginny replied and stuck her tongue out.

Neville had disappeared to steal two chairs from a vacant table and everyone shifted a bit to create room. Ginny flopped down, and her bags scattered on the floor. With a flick of her wand, they were contained to a neat pyramid at the back of the coffee shop where she could keep a close eye on them.

"So, I was telling Harry and Hermione about my trip to visit Charlie," Ron announced. "Do you want to hear about it, Neville?"

Neville looked nervous. He knew how Ron could be when he started on with a story: it never ended. The boy stood up and glanced towards the till. "Tell me when I get back. Coffee, Gin?"

Ginny nodded, relieved that Ron's story had been delayed. She had been regaled with it more than a few times and was ready to silence Ron with a hex if he told it again. Ron glared at his friend and pouted. He had been looking forward to finding a new victim to trap for a while.

"So, September is almost here," Hermione declared.

The group collectively groaned.

"Oh hush, these are our futures and we need to be serious about them. We're going to be the next generation of adult witches and wizards."

Ron waved a hand. "Mione, we love you, but you're sounding like McGonagall during the graduation ceremony."

"She had a point though!" Hermione huffed. "We're being given a brand-new world. It's like a newborn baby and it has so much potential as long as we raise it correctly."

"What influence can five people have over the entirety of wizarding Britain have?" Harry asked, nodding at Neville who was handing money to the person at the till.

"Plenty of influence. Look at all the greatest witches and wizards of their time. Many of them acted alone and did many things."

"That was a different time," Ron added in. "We all just want some peace and quiet for once, Mione. The world can wait for a bit."

Hermione was beginning to feel tears pricking her eyes. The changes occurring right now affected everybody, but her friends seemed to just care about having an easy life. She wanted more than to just sit back and let others handle everything for her.

Ginny noticed the change in her best friend and placed a hand on Hermione's arm. "Let's just enjoy being kids for a bit, Hermione. We have to become adults again in a month but for now, we deserve a break."

Everyone except Hermione nodded in agreement. She looked down at her lap and wrung her hands; a nervous habit she had developed while on the run during seventh year. The return of Neville to the table brought about a welcome change of atmosphere.

"Who died?" Neville joked.

Within seconds the table was once again filled with happy chatter and Hermione finding herself being swept up in it. Harry, Ron, and Ginny loudly argued about quidditch and which team was the best. Neville and Hermione fought to hear each other over them as they talked about a newly discovered plant that was supposed to work as an antivenom for basilisk poison. Normalcy had returned to the group, at least temporarily.

 **495 Days Before**

The world was composed of "before and after" Hermione mused as she read the Daily Prophet. She had her feet propped up on her coffee table and a mug of tea on the arm her armchair. The latest attempt at a Death Eater reformation had been quashed and the entire front page as well as four inside pages had been devoted to the story. It was easy to picture how Ron and Harry would be pouring over the story, hungering to begin their auror training.

It seemed that every few weeks, a former Death Eater or Voldemort sympathizer tried to bring about a new age of blood supremacy. It had been just over a year since the world had been granted peace and old ideals took a long time to change, assuming they ever did. These attempts were quickly ended, and they were becoming increasingly easier to thwart. As sympathizers and Death Eaters were either imprisoned or executed, their numbers shrank. It was a surprise that they were still trying at a reformation.

The next several pages of newspaper were devoted to minor current events, economic predictions, an advice column, a daily recipe to try, and coupons for various mail order services. If not for the front-page article, it would seem that the Daily Prophet was having a slow day. Towards the back, just before the muggle-style crosswords and horoscopes, there was a tiny article that caused Hermione's breath to catch. The headline read "Pansy Parkinson Found Dead".

According to the text, Pansy had been offered a chance at redeeming herself if she gave some more information about Death Eater activity. Her father had been a devout supporter but was never caught. He went on the run and was apparently central to several Death Eater reformation attempts. The ministry had been correct in knowing that Pansy had some form of contact with her father and offered the girl a chance at a bit of glory.

Hermione recalled reading about the very public announcement that Pansy was aiding efforts to end the Death Eater reformations. It did not take much to realize that word would have gotten to her father about this. Regardless of if they were family or not, the man would be paranoid. Most likely, he ordered Pansy executed.

Today's article said that Pansy had been found dead in a back alley, her throat slit. The autopsy report revealed that she had been laying on the ground for at least six hours before being found. Not even the dignity of an Avada.

A wave of sadness hit Hermione. Pansy had been trying to redeem herself and even if for selfish reasons it was better than nothing. Now that she had died for something that was supposed to be important to the Order, she was given a tiny little section in the Prophet. That was all her life was worth in the end.

 **492 Days Before**

"Let's go see mum before school starts," Ginny said.

Hermione was sitting on her old bed in the room she had shared with Ginny. The single window was in dire need of a wash and the mattress was much too soft, but it all felt like home.

"I would love to," Hermione smiled.

Ginny grinned and went back to brushing out her hair. It was down past her waist now and frequently got knotted without regular care throughout the day. With a few more strokes she was done for that session and began to root under her bed for a pair of shoes. She picked out a pair of black flats that her mother would approve of and pulled them on. Hermione slipped on the trainers that she had left on the floor by the bed before leaving the room with Ginny.

Once they were outside, the girls apparated to the front of a busy building. They strolled in just as they had so many times before, making light conversation as they approached the lift. Witches and wizards in robes of every colour imaginable raced by. It was busy on the main floor that day. Surprisingly, nobody was going towards any other floor and they had the lift all to themselves.

As they rose higher and higher, Ginny became quiet and tense. She had withdrawn into herself. Visiting St. Mungo's was always hard, but the ward Molly Weasley was kept on was especially difficult. It was a tragic place where more than a few of their schoolmates' parents found themselves. They had seen Neville there more than once, but no words were ever said. They were never needed.

Hermione counted the doors as they walked to Molly Weasley's room just as she always did. She knew the number without even thinking about it, but there was a comfort in doing something repetitive. Door twenty-four on the left was their stop.

Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand for support and the pair walked in. Molly was staring out the window just as she did every day, dressed in a nice outfit that one of the nurses had chosen. It was heartbreaking to see the strong woman who had become everybody's mother in this catatonic state. She had never looked away from the window since arriving there. Always seeming to be looking into some other world.

"Hi mum," Ginny announced.

"Hi Molly," Hermione echoed.

The two sat on the chairs next to the bed and Ginny continued. "We've got loads to tell you. Sorry we haven't come by in a while. I just found out that I'm going to be joining the Hollyhead Harpies! I start bootcamping September eighth and Dad's just over the moon…"

Hermione stopped listening as she noticed different things in the room. She could feel Ginny's hand shaking while holding onto it. Even though her friend was putting on a brave front it was obvious that this conversation was hard to have. Maintaining a bit of normalcy took a lot when the person who was supposedly listening never participated.

The sound of footsteps in the hallways caused Hermione to look behind her. She was shocked to see Draco Malfoy walk past the door. He paused and sneered at her before continuing his way. Acid burned at the back of Hermione's throat, leaving her with the knowledge that some things never changed.

Hermione turned back into Ginny's one-sided conversation, happy for a distraction from the bitter taste in her mouth. "... captured. Ron and Harry won't shut up about who's going to capture more Death Eaters. Gods mum! They're so annoying sometimes!"

 **470 Days Before**

Hogwarts had nothing on the British International College of Wizard Learning. Known simply as "the college" in normal conversation, it was the pinnacle of higher learning. Hermione fit right in. She had been accepted into the law department so that she could eventually become a lawyer. Normally the program lasted two years but Hermione was ambitious enough to try and condense it to one. Her days were filled with running from classroom to classroom of the ancient castle. It was larger and grander than Hogwarts with a faculty comprised of more than a few ghosts. They proved to be the best professors, and Hermione sponged up every piece of information from the lectures.

She had taken Fridays off so that she could get further ahead and lock herself inside of the library. She had found a secluded table at the very back on the first day and had gone back to it ever since. This part of the library seemed forgotten based on the thick layer of dust that had been on the table when Hermione had found it.

Today she was studying her torts textbook, trying to find inspiration for an essay. Her courses at the college found ways to challenge her that Hogwarts never had. This course in particular, was proving that not even Hermione Granger could breeze through every class. Her professor assigned them bi-weekly essays on obscure topics that were barely covered in any books. This time, the topic was a practically unknown case where two American wizards had battled over their father's wand as inheritance and one ended up severely disfigured.

A tapping on the window provided a welcome distraction as Hermione looked up and saw Harry's new owl Avalon with a letter attached to her leg. The bird waited patiently as the letter was untied and read. Laughter bubbled out of Hermione as she read it.

 _Dear Hermione,_

 _Ron and I are doing really good. We're training every day and it feels like we're really doing something with ourselves. We had mock duels today and I'm exhausted. Ron managed to singe off his eyebrows with a hex that was supposed to be directed at his opponent. He looks a lot like first year Seamus did. Don't worry! We weren't in any real danger. Next time we see you, we'll explain how the duels worked. How's school going for you? Say hi to Neville for us will you and tell him to reply to the last letter. If you can find time to reply then I know he can. Talk soon._

 _Love,_

 _Harry_

 _PS: Do you know anything that would fix Ron's eyebrows?_

Hermione quickly penned down a reply and gave Avalon a treat. The beautiful barred owl gave a hoot before heading off again. She missed her boys a lot and had not seen them since school started.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello! I hope you enjoyed my story! I will be updating weekly and have several chapters ready so we are good to go! If anyone is curious, the timeline actually corresponds to real dates, and the story is set in 1999.


	2. Calm

**458 Days Before**

Hermione had developed somewhat of a routine in regards to Fridays. She would get up earlier than most people would consider acceptable on a day off, and spend a half hour just laying in bed. This was followed by a short shower and a small breakfast that never satisfied her, but was enough food to survive on. Ginny had advised that she take some time each day to just relax and enjoy herself. At first Hermione found the idea laughable but school was beginning to take its toll. Her muscles ached and headaches began occurring frequently. These short periods in the morning that she devoted totally to herself seemed to be a good remedy for the pain.

The rest of the day was spent nose deep in a book with her bum sat on an uncomfortable wooden chair. She had changed a lot during her time hunting for Horcruxes, but one aspect of her personality that never wavered was that unsquashable love of libraries. So every Friday, without fail, Hermione spent her days hidden away in the college's library at the very back.

Without her friends around, Hermione had no incentive to socialize. She had always found it difficult to talk to other people and with lecture halls of one hundred-fifty people, there were no group projects to force her to interact with others. Sometimes, living this way made her a bit lonely, but she quickly pushed that feeling aside and went back to her studies.

 **456 Days Before**

It was Sunday and Ginny had apparated to Hermione's flat. The wards were set up so that all of her friends could enter the flat but nobody else could. It had been a long time since the girls had seen each other and they tightly embraced.

"You look good!" Hermione exclaimed.

"You too!" Ginny laughed. "School looks really good on you."

Hermione cocked her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"Oh just, you know. You look really happy being back in school. Loads happier than you did this summer."

"Oh."

Ginny waved a hand dismissively in front of Hermione. "Pretend I said nothing. We're having girls day! We're visiting mum later today too."

The pair walked out of Hermione's flat with linked arms, their voices carrying through the hallway. Ginny talked about her practices and the nasty broken bones she had gotten from falling. She was grateful that there was always a mediwitch to fix the injuries, otherwise she might look quite disfigured at this point.

"I forgot how brutal the game could be!" Hermione managed to say between laughs.

"Oh you don't know the half of it," Ginny said.

Initially Ginny's stories had gotten a disapproving click of the tongue but eventually as she went on, the girls were nearly doubled over in laughter. The Hollyheads' practice sessions were apparently quite exhausting, but frequently the team broke out into antics that just made their coach give up for the day. This usually happened when they were already tired and just had no way to muster up any concentration.

The way Ginny explained different aspects of quidditch was quite interesting to Hermione. She had never had things properly explained by the boys and when they tried, they usually jumped over their words in eagerness to convert their friend into a fan. Ginny's patient explanations to her questions were refreshing. And while not enough to convert Hermione to becoming a fan, she was happy to have some reference to use when Ron and Harry babbled on in front of her.

The day was filled with happy chatter and shopping. Ginny needed new gloves and a broom care kit while Hermione was on the hunt for some new teas. They had stopped for lunch at a tiny little restaurant in Hogsmeade that was sandwiched between two massive clothing stores. Hermione insisted they go there because the food was fantastic and always served quickly. Now that the day was winding down, however, it was time for a trip to St. Mungo's to visit Molly,

Ginny's eyes darkened as they approached the looming building. Visiting hours were almost over, but for the ward they were going to, those rules were ignored. Families came and went as they wanted.

The girls had picked up some everlasting lilies for Molly to brighten up the room. Hermione had selected a beautiful painting of the African savannah that was charmed to show animals walking past, as well as changing weather and times of day. Ginny had purchased a lamp, a night table bookshelf, and several books her mother would like to go with it. The younger girl had commented that the room seemed so clinical and decided that it needed some items to make it look more alive.

"She could come back to us at any time," Ginny said while they were looking at paintings. "She would hate finding herself in such a boring room. Mum is not a boring woman."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "That she is not."

They carried the items out of the lift and walked down the hallway. They stopped walking when Draco Malfoy suddenly walked out of one of the doors. He nodded at Ginny with a simple nod and "Weasley" before continuing on towards the exit of the floor. This surprised Hermione because she never imagined the former Slytherin bully was on even remotely civil terms with her best friend. She tried to peek into the room he had come out of but the door was shut tightly, leaving no way to see inside.

Arriving at Molly's room distracted her from her thoughts of Draco and a sober feeling appeared in her heart. Seeing this beautiful woman in a catatonic state was heartbreaking. She sat in bed and stared out the window. The only difference between today and August when Hermione had last visited, was Molly's green blouse had been replaced by a blue one. Hermione felt guilty when she realized it had been so long since she had visited.

Ginny wasted no time marching into the room and setting up the bookshelf. She made a great fuss about placing the books in just the right places. Hermione followed the lead and looked for a place to put the painting. With a wave of her wand, she levitated it and hung it directly across from the bed. Some zebras were grazing on grass and the sun was hanging low in the sky. Once the flowers were put in a vase and the books on their shelves, Ginny sat down and Hermione did the same.

"Hey mum," Ginny began. "I'm really loving my quidditch practices! But I already told you all about them. I got a new broom that's loads faster than anything commercially available. Now before you say anything, I'm being safe. I promise. I got this broom care kit that…"

 **447 Days Before**

Hermione found herself alone on Sunday. Ron and Harry had made plans with her earlier in the week but they had been called on a mission somewhere in Scotland that was supposed to take at least a week. Ginny was off in Bulgaria playing in a tournament that the Hollyhead Harpies were expected to win by everybody. This left Hermione all alone and not sure what to do with herself.

She had considered going to the library to study but as appealing as that sounded, it seemed wrong when she already made plans to do something. Hermione was a girl that loved routine and planned events even more than books. She liked to organize and make lists. She liked to make decisions and plans that were kept to. Even though she liked school, she had trouble putting herself in the mentality for it when she had already organized her Sunday around the idea of not studying.

"I'll visit Molly," Hermione announced to Crookshanks who was curled up in her armchair.

The cat lifted his head and mewed at her before settling back down to try and nap. Hermione gathered her things and put on trainers before locking her door the muggle way. Her flat was in the centre of London and she loved how busy the streets always were. People constantly on the way to their destinations made things feel a bit less lonely. Even though they were strangers, it felt nice to be part of a whole rather than a single person all alone.

The trip to St. Mungo's was uneventful and the building looked a lot more cheerful in the midday sun than it had in the evening last week with Ginny. A couple walked out holding two babies: twins, while the infant's grandmother fussed over the new mum. Hermione caught the woman saying "feed them every night before bed. Sleep right through the night they will. Sweet babes..." before they went out of earshot. An elderly man walked through the doors with a bouquet of exotic flowers. Perhaps he was visiting his wife in the assisted living ward.

Hermione watched several more people on their way in or out of the hospital before entering through the doors herself. She watched as the receptionists spoke to their charmed quills. Several people were in line to get their prescriptions filled while mediwitches and mediwizards filed past on their way to procedures. Some faces looked familiar while most were simply just people going about their business. It was hard to imagine that this hospital had been blown to pieces two years ago because of the war.

As Hermione made her way to Molly's room she saw Neville walking out of his parents room. She moved over to him and embraced her friend.

"Hey," Neville said.

"Hey," Hermione replied.

"It's always hard. I know they can't hear me but sometimes I wish they were dead. I know that's a horrible thing to say but it would be easier. No more hospital visits and all that."

Hermione drew back and took Neville's hands in hers. "I know but sometimes it's nicer knowing that there's still a warm body to embrace even if they don't know you're there."

"Sorry Mione. I forgot about your parents."

"No harm, no foul. I'm off to visit Molly, would you like to come?"

Neville considered the idea for a moment. "S'okay. I need to get some groceries for Nan before meeting up with Luna. Tell you what though, let's get together sometime in the week. We go to the same school after all. I'll owl."

Hermione nodded and gave a smile. One last hug and Neville was off to do whatever else he had planned for the day. Now it was off to the room halfway between the lift doors and the end of the ward. This floor had been expanded to accommodate all the vacant victims of the war.

In her canvas shoulder bag, Hermione had brought a book of poems to read aloud. She remembered that Molly had enjoyed the muggle poet E.E. Cummings. This had been uncovered when Hermione left the exact copy that was now being taken to the hospital room on the Burrow's kitchen table and Molly had picked it up, thumbing through it during one of her rare free moments.

As she made herself comfortable, Hermione looked at the poems she had tabbed and decided which one would be read first. Just as she was about to start a voice startled her. "Don't bother, the dead can't hear you."

Hermione whipped around and saw none other than Draco standing in the doorway. He was on this floor a lot. "I'll have you know, Malfoy, that Molly Weasley is very much alive."

Draco shrugged. "Is she? Is that what the living look like now?"

His footsteps echoed down the hall as he moved away and hermione huffed in annoyance. Even now, he got her blood boiling with just a few words. He had no right to say something like that about Molly, she was definitely there. But when Hermione turned around and prepared to read she was filled with a sense of despair. Perhaps there was shred of truth to what Malfoy had said.

His people had caused this strong woman to become a shell of what she was. When Molly had killed Bellatrix, the witch had sent a nonverbal curse that seemed to have destroyed the mind of the Weasley matriarch. Initially there had been a lot of hope for recovery but as time went on, acceptance had begun to replace hope which had been taken over by denial. The last prognosis from the mediwitch had been that recovery was unlikely but at least Molly was alive.

Hermione went back to her poems and read "Dive For Dreams" which was a personal favourite.

 _dive for dreams_

 _or a slogan may topple you_

 _(trees are their roots_

 _and wind is wind)_

 _trust your heart_

 _if the seas catch fire_

 _(and live by love_

 _though the stars walk backward)_

 _honour the past_

 _but welcome the future_

 _(and dance your death_

 _away at the wedding)_

 **432 Days Before**

Hermione found herself staring at the newest decoration in her flat. Harry had sent a world map as a gift from an assignment in Spain. It was on beautiful papyrus and looked stunning above the fireplace. She had rearranged her furniture so that her armchair now faced it. There was something so comforting about seeing the world laid out as a simple whole rather than tiny sectioned off countries. From this distance, the borders were impossible to make out which Hermione preferred.

She was reading the the Daily prophet and saw an article about a muggleborn being found dead much in the same way Pansy had been. This time the article was much larger and included speculation of a Death Eater reformation that could be gaining speed if not kept in check. Rita Skeeter had written a scathing analysis in her section of the paper that seemed to be filled with more opinion than facts.

Even though the war had ended over a year and a half ago, the world was still recovering. Hermione knew it was going to be slow going. Sometimes she found herself falling into wartime patterns that were proving difficult to break. The pops of apparition still made her start if they were unexpected, triggering memories of when she was captured by snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor.

Hermione wondered how much time it would take to recover but remained unclear if she meant herself or the rest of the wizarding world.

 **425 Days Before**

Hermione found herself rearranging photographs on her mantlepiece. Before obliviating her parents, she grabbed several photographs from the sitting room to keep for herself. After the war had ended she had gone in search of the two people who had brought her into this world with Harry. What she found had devastated her. Hermione had found her parents had adopted a child and were playing in a park with him. It was obvious that the boy was adopted because of his platinum blond hair; whereas all Grangers and Cutlers (her mother's side) had brown hair.

 **415 Days Before**

Neville had not yet owled to set up a time to see each other so Hermione had decided to take the initiative herself.


	3. Difference

**395 Days Before**

For the first time in months, all of Hermione's friends are together in one room. It had taken a lot of work but she had managed to wrangle everyone into her flat and it felt like all the stress from classes and life in general had just melted into the floor. She felt recharged being around these people that she loved so dearly.

"... and I caught the snitch before anyone realized it was in play!" Ginny exclaimed.

The redhead was practically glowing from all the attention. She looked more toned than ever before, and it was obvious that this had been the correct career choice. The slight jealousy emanating from Ron was a source of humor for the group. It was obvious that he was proud of his sister but he also wanted achievements of his own to talk about rather than just listening.

"Tell us about how Auror training is going," Neville requested.

"Ron can tell you all about it. He's top of the class after all," Harry said.

The rest of the group turned to their redheaded friend, mouths slightly agape. Ron blushed and shrugged in an attempt at nonchalance. "Well I don't think I'm really at the top of the class. I've just been finding the stuff we're learning kinda easy. Harry's doing good too, aren't you mate?"

"I'll drink to that," Ginny laughed and raised her shot of firewhiskey to the air.

Hermione glanced over at Luna who was sitting next to Harry. This was possibly the first time that their eccentric friend looked nervous. It was no secret that she was allergic to alcohol which was a source of grief for the girl based on the letters she sent to Hermione. She had said that it made her feel like she was unable to properly grow up because she would never experience this with her friends.

"Hey Luna," Hermione called. "Let's go make some tea. I don't feel like alcohol right now."

Luna gave her friend a grateful smile and got up. They walked into the kitchen and began to grab the necessary components for making a good cuppa. Luna had always been an Earl Grey kind of girl, enjoying the intricacies of a seemingly simple drink. Hermione was the adventurous one and found herself drawn more to spiced chais and oolongs.

"What are you having?" Luna asked.

"I was just going to have a basic chai; nothing to fancy for me today," Hermione replied.

Luna held up the carton of lactose-free milk. "Any milk for you?"

"I'm not a huge fan of it in my teas. I like them just as."

The girls waited in comfortable silence for the water to boil and then again for their teas to brew. The smell of bergamot oil mixing with cinnamon and cardamom made for an intoxicating aroma. Luna's eyes lit up. "We should start our own tea company."

Hermione considered the idea. "It would be a lot of work but I think we could do well together."

"We could make blends like Earl Grey Chai. I'm sure it would be our most popular one!"

"No doubt."

Luna frequently came up with ideas for businesses of projects she wanted to start but soon forgot about them. It was easier to humor her than try to argue against the idea. Since the war had ended, her relationship with reality had become significantly more strained. She was still the group's quirky friend but it sometimes seemed like her odd behaviour was a mask for something more sinister locked away inside.

 **385 Days Before**

Hermione had several exams to deal with and she was not coping well. Ginny's repeated attempts and getting her out of her room and into the real world had been thwarted each time because Hermione doubted taking time away from studying was going to be conducive to progress. Instead, she had avoided showering and maintaining her hair for several days and barely ate. Ron and Harry had also expressed concern but they had been taken away by another assignment.

There was a two week break before exams where no classes occurred. This meant that Hermione was alone with her own thoughts and the idea she would fail kept plaguing her. The anxiety was there regardless of the fact that she had the best marks in all classes or that she was generally used in demonstrations with professors because of how well she was performing. Part of the stress was because of the looming grade requirement for becoming a lawyer. The college marked things on a scale of one-to-five and all grades needed to be four and a half points or higher. Hogwarts had never had this system so it was stressful being dumped into it. Based on what she heard from classmates, other wizarding schools employed this point system.

"You look like you need something a lot stronger than the tea I brought you."

Hermione lifted her head with great effort and was surprised to find Neville standing in front of her. She remembered that he was permitted within her wards and mentally kicked herself for not blocking those off. On his face was a sweet smile and in his hands a to-go cup from Mink.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted so I brought Earl Grey," He said. "No milk though."

Hermione gratefully took the cup and lifted the lid, inhaling the familiar warmth. "Thank you so much, Neville. You're so sweet."

"I try."

"You're welcome to sit if you can find space. Sorry I look so horrid."

Neville shrugged and began to clear a space for himself to sit down. "You never look horrible, Mione. Quite the opposite in fact."

Hermione gave him a smile before diving back to her textbook. She knew a large portion of the exams would have extensive essay questions and those were causing her the most grief. "What if I fail all my exams, Neville?"

"You won't fail."

"How is your studying going? Oh why am I even asking, you're going to do amazingly since herbology comes so naturally to you."

Neville laughed and the deep sound off it caught Hermione off guard. She sometimes forgot that they were now all men and women. "Mione, you're going to do just fine. You've always done well on tests. Why are these so scary now."

"Because becoming a wizarding lawyer means that I need to have perfect marks and my exams are going to be mostly essay based which is so subjective and if the professors don't like my writing then I'll never become a lawyer and then I'll never get to help those who are being exploited and then I will-"

"Shh, Hermione, shh. You are going to do just fine. Wasn't it just a few days ago when we were having lunch in the dining hall that you said several professors had commented on how well you're doing? Or how about how honoured you are that they use you for demonstrations?"

Hermione opened her mouth to protest but Neville held out his hand in a "stop" motion. He pointed to the to-go cup of tea and mimed drinking before indicating back to the textbook in front of Hermione. She did exactly what he had wordlessly told her to do in the exact same order. There was something so soothing about Neville's presence. Nothing ever seemed to phase him and he always smelled like the earth and plants he worked with. It was in this way that the two spent most of the day together.

 **367 Days Before**

Hermione's studying was beginning to take a noticeable toll on her. Neville had stopped by several more times since his initial visit; always armed with a to-go cup of tea and some soothing words. He had forced her to stop studying at various times in order to get her to do basic human daily necessities. Sometimes he would cook something for her while other times he dragged her out for a quick lunch at a nearby cafe. He would also close her textbooks and keep them away from her until she took a shower and brushed her teeth.

Today Hermione knew she was going to be alone and had no idea what to do with herself. Her eyes burned from looking at page after page of transparently thin paper. The words had begun swimming together and various events were indistinguishable from each other. It was time to take a break even if a begrudging one.

It was a good day to visit Molly, Hermione decided. She hadn't seen her second mum in a few weeks and was dearly missing her. She brought a book of international creationism stories to read aloud that Molly would certainly enjoy. Sometimes it felt ridiculous to treat a catatonic person as if nothing had changed but Hermione shoved the thoughts away. The mediwitch overseeing recovery had said that Molly could still hear everything and it would be beneficial to recovery to speak with her as normal.

St. Mungo's was busy yet again and it seemed that there were even more people than normal. The cover page of a Daily Prophet left on the receptionist desk gave Hermione the answer as to why. The headline read "Six Aurors Found Dead: Death Eater Reformation To Blame" and a wave of relief hit Hermione along with the horror of six lost lives because she knew Ron and Harry had been safely at home rather than on that assignment. The increased volume of people in the hospital would have been caused by other non-fatal casualties of the incident.

In order to not obstruct anybody's access, Hermione moved on to Molly's floor. Yet again she saw Draco Malfoy coming out of the same room. He shut the door behind him with a firm sound and glared at her.

"I'm not sure why they keep the shells alive. Wastes resources," he said as casually as if he were to talk about the weather.

Hermione gaped at him but eventually found her words again. "How can you say something so horrible? They're people too! They may very well recover but by euthanizing them the chance of that is removed."

"But what's better in the end? Saying goodbye and living with the pain of death or living with this hollow emptiness that can never be filled and hoping to some God that perhaps things will change but they never do."

"How would you know?"

"I know more than you'll ever know about it." Draco gave her his classic serpentine smirk before walking off. The heels of his designer shoes made clicking sounds as he walked.

Hermione was left feeling angry and confused at the exchange that had just happened.

 **363 Days before**

The exchange between herself and Draco kept replaying in her head at the most inopportune moments. She could be studying, taking a shower, cooking, or just trying to fall asleep and then his words would ring through her mind. "I'm not sure why they keep the shells alive" over and over again. But then the painful realization that his comment about living with a hollow emptiness held more truth than she wanted to deal with hit. It always hit her like a powerful spell, leaving her feeling as if she were drowning.

Studying was proving unproductive as Draco's words kept repeating themselves in her mind. Instead, Hermione picked up the Daily Prophet that had arrived earlier. The cover page detailed another Death Eater attack. Seven Aurors were dead and her heart caught in her throat. Ron and Harry had been on this mission and none of the bodies had been identified. Suddenly, the war that seemed over long ago came rushing back. All these reformation attacks that seemed like a distant reality now felt tangible and like the tendrils of fear and death could reach out and grab hold of her.

Immediately Hermione crossed over to her fireplace and threw floo powder down. She decided to check in on Harry first because Ron was likely to be over there. They liked to spend time together outside of missions where they could talk privately about anything.

To her relief, Harry was sitting at the kitchen table eating something while Ron stood at the sink, staring out the window. Hermione took the chance to watch the boys she had grown up with. Harry had started to fill out and look more like his father every day. Many witches fawned over the idea of Harry Potter and how great he must be in bed, but Hermione still saw him as that awkward little boy on the train. Looking at Ron, however, caused a twinge in her heart. She knew him as the boy she had first loved and the first to break her heart. He was her first kiss. All that was in the past since they had realized that they were truly better off as friends. This candid moment broke her heart because she knew it could never last.

Harry somehow noticed the fireplace had been activated and jumped up from his chair. "Mione! Hey!"

"Hey Harry! Hey Ron!"

Ron turned around and looked lost, as if he had no idea who Hermione was.

"How are you?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged. "I'm alright. How are you? I heard about the mission…"

"Mione's true intentions come through. We're fine as you can see. Just a little bruised up from an explosion -"

Before Harry could continue, Ron walked out of the kitchen and into some other room. Harry got up and followed him. Even though there had been humor in her best friend's voice, Hermione knew that it was hollow. Something had happened on that mission that the boys were keeping from her. Actually just Harry was keeping it from her considering Ron had not even acknowledged that she was flooing them in the first place.

After several long moments, Hermione decided that the boys were not coming back and ended the floo session. She was worried about what had happened but decided not to press for now. She would get them in person where they would not run away. Running to grab a pen and parchment, Hermione wrote a message asking Ron and Harry to meet with her in two days for coffee. She rushed off to the nearest owling centre to send it off before mailing was closed for the day.


End file.
